Ask Allen: Do I really need to know how to work Excel?

How do I work this Excel Spreadsheet???!!!

Frustrated in the South

Business tools and frustration plus!!

First, for any business to function properly, it must have metrics so its financial position and performance can be measured. Excel is a wonderful tool for this. That having been said, it’s a real learning process. One must make a psychological change and realize that the computer understands and communicates in its own language. At that point, which sounds simple, but which is more complex than one would imagine; the next step is to learn the language itself.

You can teach yourself, as was the case in my situation (and I am still learning), or attend training sessions, check training sessions on YouTube, etc. There are a great many sources, and it’s not easy; it is, however, many times well worth the effort! Excel and similar programs will broaden both your knowledge and the ability to run your business, plus it (they) will be invaluable in displaying information to investors, bankers, etc. These spreadsheets are an integral part of “The Language of Business.”

There are no easy answers, but the results are well worth the effort, whether you need to know @SUM(a22:z22) or something involving dozens of cell addresses and formulae; e.g. @MAX, @IF, @MIN, @PMNT, @PV, etc. Ain’t learning grand?

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